Missiles and drones hit American facilities in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said.
Iran launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. military bases across the Persian Gulf region, as well as against Israel, after U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran earlier Saturday.
Missiles and drones hit the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain and other American bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement reported by the Iranian news agency IRNA. It also confirmed a wave of drones and missiles targeting Israel.
The statement said the strikes were “in response to the American-Zionist aggression on Iranian soil.”
A U.S. official told POLITICO that air defenses intercepted Iranian missiles aimed at American bases including Al Udeied in Qatar, the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain, Ali Salem in Kuwait and Al Dhafra in the United Arab Emirates.
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates said that they intercepted Iranian missiles. The UAE saw one casualty from fallen debris, its defense ministry said.
Kuwait said its army repelled Iran’s attack and that it reserves the right to respond to Iran’s aggression in “a manner commensurate with the scale and nature of this violation and in accordance with international law.”
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola condemned the Iranian counterattacks, calling Tehran’s strikes on U.S. bases in Gulf countries “inexcusable and unjustifiable.”
“The regime in Iran must refrain from any further escalation in any targeting of the Gulf States, Israel or European or United States nationals,” she said in a post on X.
“The events unfolding in Iran must not lead to a spiral of escalation that could threaten the Middle East, Europe and beyond,” Metsola said.
Israel Defense Forces have said that sirens have been activated in various parts of the country, including Tel Aviv.
Most major airlines have cancelled flights to the region citing airspace closures.
Saudi Arabia condemned the attacks by Iran in the Gulf region and warned of “the grave consequences of the continued violation of the sovereignty of states and the principles of international law.”
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns and denounces in strongest terms the blatant Iranian aggression and the flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan,” the government said in a statement.
Paul McLeary and Nahal Toosi contributed reporting to this article.